Monterey Select Board
Minutes of the meeting of 2/25/14
Meeting Opened at: 7pm
Select Board Members Present: Muriel Lazzarini, Chairperson, Wayne Burkhart and Scott Jenssen
Also present: Steve Weisz, Dennis Lynch, Wendy Germain, Pat Edelstein, Richard Edelstein, Maria Rundle, Susan Gallant for the Monterey News, Kenn Basler, Will Marsh, Barbara Palmer, Rob Hoogs, Josh Allentuck, Mary Makuc, Larry Silk and Elizabeth Silk
This is the 2nd multi-board meeting to continue discussions on the planning and future of town owned buildings specifically the library and school.
Wayne has spoken with Tom Matzuko of the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission regarding getting their help in studying the buildings in Monterey and their needs (BRPC is doing something similar for the Town of Richmond right now). This help could cost anywhere from $2,000 - $10,000 and there is a possibility of receiving grant money to help with this cost. Muriel has requested that someone volunteer to look into the Charrette system. The final possibility is to not seek help at all but to appoint a group of townspeople to take on the task.
Steve Weisz is currently working on an updated revised version of the 1990 survey to be distributed through Survey Monkey.
Muriel requested that either someone at the meeting tonight or anyone else interested come forward to lead this group in deciding the best course of action in all the aspects that will be necessary in planning for the future of Monterey’s facilities. Steve Weisz was nominated but he was worried there may be a conflict as he is going to be running for Select Board. No one present thought there would be a conflict. It was suggested that this group be called “Monterey 20/20”. Anyone interested in being a part of this committee should submit their interest in writing to the Select Board so that an official appointment can be made.
Discussion ensued about the future of a continuing program in Monterey. Maria Rundle confirmed that the closing of any outlying school is not something that the Superintendent or district can choose to do, it is the school committee that chooses whether or not to support a continuing program and it is up to the surrounding towns on whether or not a building is closed. She also noted that the savings overall is negligible if one of the outlying schools were to be closed and it is important to remember that if this is done, the geography doesn’t change. Maria also noted that at some recent school committee meetings the impression of those in attendance based on the articles in the Monterey News and Berkshire Eagle regarding the survey Monterey just did was that the constituents in Monterey were not
in favor of continuing a program in Monterey. She said that if this isn’t true then this needs to be communicated back to the community. Wayne feels that if Monterey wants to continue a community school program in Monterey that we are going to have to figure out a way to fund it. He also feels it is important to make people aware that education is never going to be less expensive, there are always going to be rising costs.
Muriel asked Rob Hoogs who has had a lot of experience with creating Master Plans to detail some of the positives and negatives of the process. Rob has had several conversations with Monterey’s Planning Board about creating a Master Plan and it is his opinion that Monterey is not in need of the usual Master Plan which focuses on zoning. The parameters of Monterey are pretty well established and it is very unlikely that a Master Plan in the traditional sense would accomplish a whole lot. Rob feels that before focusing on the buildings themselves, we need to determine what the needs are of the town (for example more parking, culture and recreation, etc), what we currently have and how to get there economically. In addition to our current buildings we also need to find a home for our historical
society. The process of creating this plan begins with determining what do we have, what do we need and how do we fit all those pieces of the puzzle together.
A tentative date for the next meeting was set for Saturday, March 22nd at 10am however this will not be posted until the committee members have been officially appointed.
A motion was made and unanimously approved to adjourn the meeting at: 8:30pm
Submitted by:
Melissa Noe, Executive Secretary
Approved by:
Monterey Select Board
Select Board Members
Minutes Book
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